Asakusa Temple Tours

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The must-see Asakusa Temple (also known as Senso-ji or Asakusa Kannon) combines architecture, centers of worship, Japanese gardens, and traditional markets to offer visitors a modern-day look at Japan’s rich history and culture. Erected in AD 645 in what was once an old fishing village, Asakusa Temple was dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Stone statues of Fujin (the Shinto wind god) and Raijin (the Shinto thunder god) guard the entrance, known as Kaminarimon or the Thunder Gate. Next is Hozomon Gate, which leads to Nakamise’s shopping streets, filled with vendors selling handicrafts and Japanese snacks. Don’t miss the Asakusa Shrine or Kannon-do Hall.

The Basics

Even those with little interest in religious architecture should include this top sight on their Tokyo itinerary. Asakusa Temple is quite unlike anything else in the city—and as one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions, it’s included in many city sightseeing tours that may also visit the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace Plaza, the Tsukiji Fish Market, and the Nakamise-dori shopping district. For an in-depth experience in the Asakusa area, opt for a walking tour, rickshaw tour, or evening food tour.

Things to Know Before You Go

Asakusa Temple is a must-see for first-time visitors to Tokyo.It’s possible to experience the temple on a themed tour of the Asakusa neighborhood or as part of a comprehensive city sightseeing tour.Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for a variety of surfaces.Don’t forget your wallet—a variety of interesting shops dot the area.

How to Get There

Senso-ji is located in Asakusa, within central Tokyo’s Taito district. The temple is just a few steps away from Asakusa Station, which is served by Tobu Railways and the Ginza and Asakusa subway lines.

When to Get There

The temple grounds are always open. The main hall is open from 6am to sunset each day, but many of the shops don’t open until late morning. The temple can get crowded around midday, particularly on weekends, so if you’d like more elbow room, visit before 10am or after 6pm.

The Mystery of Kannon

According to local legend, in AD 628 a pair of fishermen discovered a golden statue of the goddess Kannon in the nearby Sumida River. The statue has allegedly been enshrined at the site since its construction 17 years later, but it has never been on public display. It’s hard to say whether the ancient image of Kannon exists, but it hasn’t stopped Asakusa from becoming Tokyo’s most visited temple.

Discover Tokyo's must-see landmarks on this full-day coach tour including a cruise along the Tokyo Bay. Drive past the National Theater and other major attractions en route to the Imperial Palace East Garden for a stroll. Then explore the sights of Asakusa, including Senso-ji Temple, with commentary from an audio guide. Follow a tour assistant through the Tsukiji Fish Market before hopping aboard a short cruise on Tokyo Bay. Opt to include a buffet lunch if you’d like, with views of the Bay and the Rainbow Bridge from your seat.

Skip the hassle of waiting for others and spending too long at places of little interest on this private tour of Tokyo. In the company of just your party and a driver, you have the flexibility to customize your time to your own interests. Enjoy hassle-free pickup from your hotel and explore Tokyo at your own pace, spending as long as you wish at such landmarks as the Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace, and Tsukiji Fish Market.

Enjoy the best attractions the Japanese capital has to offer in a short time period as you sample the city’s shopping and culture on this 3.5-hour Tokyo city tour. Join a guide as you explore famous Tokyo landmarks like the iconic Tokyo Tower, the serene Asakusa Kannon Buddhist temple and make a brief stop for photos outside the Imperial Palace. Your morning Tokyo excursion also includes pickup from select hotels, entrance fees and a souvenir city map to continue your exploration.

Enjoy a memorable rickshaw ride through the streets of Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s most picturesque and historic neighborhoods, on this easily-customizable 30-min, 45-min, 1-hour, 2-hour, or 3-hour tour offering several different ride lengths. Sit back and relax as your knowledgeable driver peddles you past some of the city’s iconic sites, lovely gardens, towering skyscrapers and historic shops, passing cherry and maple trees as you go. It’s a great way to take a relaxed, informative, ride through this atmospheric area of Tokyo.

Experience Tokyo with like-minded travelers during this full-day private tour of the city designed specifically for Muslim visitors. Stops will be made for prayer time throughout the day, and the provided lunch will be halal-friendly to suit your needs. See popular sights such as Ueno Park and Ameya Yokocho Street, and shop for souvenirs on Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street. You’ll even have the chance to say prayers at a local mosque, Tokyo Camii. Your English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and drop you back off in the evening, after a full of exploring some of Tokyo’s most exciting sights.

Enjoy a Muslim-themed tour of Tokyo during this 7-hour guided excursion covering some of the city’s top sights and Halal-friendly eateries. Absorb the historic architecture and elegant temples of the Asakusa neighborhood, visiting the renowned Senso-ji and a Japanese garden before enjoying a Halal-certified ramen restaurant for lunch (own expense). Spend your afternoon strolling among thousands of pedestrians at the famous Shibuya Crossing and exploring Harajuku’s Meiji-jingu shrine, finishing your day with ‘Salat’ (ritual prayer) at the country’s biggest mosque.Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 1,000 yen per person, per halfan hour, payable in cash.

Spend your morning sightseeing in Tokyo by comfortable coach. Motor past multiple landmarks, such as the National Diet Building, and stop to explore significant sites including the Imperial Palace East Garden and Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Your Tokyo tour includes round-trip transport and headsets so you can clearly hear your guide.

Follow a knowledgeable guide through the world’s largest fish market on this 5.5-hour food tour of east Tokyo. Start with a stroll around Tsukiji Market and taste specialty foods and drinks such as Japanese omelettes, fresh oysters and sushi, fried fish cakes, sake and tea — enough for lunch. Then continue on to the Asakusa district to sample sweets at a traditional cafe. You will experience Japanese culture through its food, just like the locals do.

Explore the past, present and future of Tokyo’s fascinating urban backdrop during this guided 3-hour walking tour with a small group. Discover two of the city’s most important Shinto and Buddhist sites at Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji, as you learn about Japan’s religious traditions. Then fast forward into the cutting-edge present during a stroll through Harajuku, the city’s hotspot of youth culture, street style and shopping. This small-group excursion also includes complimentary Wi-Fi and optional upgrades for private and full-day packages.

Enjoy the perfect overview of Tokyo’s top attractions during this 8-hour city sightseeing trip with a small group. Travel through the Japanese capital by minivan, stopping for short guided walks at stops including Tsukiji Fish Market, the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, the Imperial Palace East Garden, Asakusa and more.

Sample the raucous nightlife and good times found in Asakusa during this 3-hour nighttime food and drink crawl. This historic area may draw hordes of tourists during the day, but after dark it’s a true locals’ hangout, ensuring you an authentic nocturnal adventure. Raise a glass with some of Japan’s famous ‘salary-men’ as you enjoy craft beer, sake, and a variety of Japanese ‘izakaya’ (pub) foods. One included drink per restaurant, plus a local guide and food tasting ensure the party keeps going.

Treat yourself to a day of shopping, indulgence and Japanese culture during this customizable 2-hour private retail session with a real geisha. Explore handcrafted products like carved hair ornaments, hand-painted fans, silk bags, woven fabrics and more among the historic geisha shops of Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood. As you shop you'll gain new insight into the beauty routines and shopping habits of this iconic Japanese community. Your experience is led by Sayuki, the country’s first western geisha practitioner, or one of her trainees.

Try your hand at ‘Ukiyo-e,’ the traditional Japanese art of woodblock printing, during this 1-hour family-friendly class in Asakusa. follow the lead of an English-speaking woodblock master as you learn the skills and techniques of this art form dating to Japan’s Edo period in a studio with decades of printmaking experience. You’ll leave your session with new knowledge, plus a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Avoid the disappointment of leaving Tokyo with below-par photographs on this private walking tour with a professional photographer. Choose a day or night tour, or a combination of both, and visit Tokyo's top sights as your guide teaches you how to make best use of your camera's settings so that you can capture them perfectly.

Cover more ground than possible on foot and visit places inaccessible to tour buses on this guided cycling tour around eastern Tokyo. Cycling in a small group, see such landmarks as the Tokyo Sky Tree and pedal through neighborhoods including Ueno, Asakusa, and Akihabara, making stops at shrines, temples, and traditional shopping streets. En route, stop for an included traditional Japanese lunch and snack.

Sit down for dinner with a sumo wrestler during this unique activity in Asakusa. Enjoy the opportunity to dine with one of Japan's celebrated athletes, a rare chance that even many local residents never get. Engage in conversation with the sumo champion, asking any questions you may have about their lives, their training and their diets. Dig in to a chanko (hot pot) dinner, a traditional sumo wrestler's dinner consisting of vegetables and big chunks of meat and fish, all cooked at the table.

Enjoy a comprehensive Tokyo one-day tour, covering its best gardens, temples, shopping areas and a Tokyo Bay cruise over the course of your 8.5-hour trip. Check out Meiji Temple, the city’s most famous Shinto site before visiting the Imperial Palace and Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist site, Asakusa Kannon Temple (Senso-ji). You’ll also get to do some shopping in Tokyo’s Nakamise and Ginza districts before enjoying a 50-minute cruise on Tokyo Bay. This Tokyo excursion also includes a guide, coach transport, pickup from select hotels, entrance fees and lunch.

Discover Tokyo at your own pace on this 4- or 8-hour private, custom tour with guide. Design a tour that’s perfect for your interests. There’s a world of options, including the fish market at Tsukiji, the city’s temples and shrines, shopping excursions and food or sake tours. Your private custom tour includes a guide, entrance fees at select attractions, snacks, round-trip transport from your hotel with meet-and-greet and a car (for the private transfer option), or public transport (for the public transfer) and optional lunch (for the full-day tour).

See some of the top Tokyo temples, gardens and shopping areas during this 4-hour bus tour, perfect for first-time city visitors and those short on time. During your Tokyo exploration you’ll marvel at the city’s Meiji Jingu Shrine, see the Imperial Palace East Garden and stop at Asakusa Kannon Temple (known as Senso-ji). Finish your excursion at the busy Ginza shopping district and the colorful Nakamise Street, another commercial hotspot. This overview of the temples, shopping and shrines of Tokyo includes a guide, entrance fees and pickup from select hotels.

Take a whirlwind sightseeing tour of Tokyo as you visit the city’s top landmarks, observe a tea ceremony and enjoy a river cruise during this 8.5-hour day tour. Follow your guide to attractions including the Imperial Palace, Nakamise shopping street, Asakusa Kannon Temple and Tokyo Tower observation deck. You’ll also enjoy a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and take a 40-minute cruise on the Sumida River. This excursion in Tokyo, perfect for those with limited time, also includes lunch, all entrance fees, pickup from select hotels and a souvenir city map.

Take a pedal-powered trip through Tokyo aboard an electric-powered cycle on this 2 or 3-hour sightseeing tour by bike. Sample a mix of the Japanese capital’s historic and modern landmarks, visiting hotspots like the neighborhoods of Asakusa, Shinjuku, Roppongi and Akihabara, the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Skytree, and much more.

Get a unique perspective on Tokyo on this 6-hour bus tour of the city’s top must-see sights, culminating in a visit to the Tokyo Skytree, one of the world’s tallest towers. Start in central Tokyo, where you’ll drive past the Imperial Palace Plaza, National Diet Building and State Guest House, then head to the city’s Ginza and Akhibara districts. Then check out Buddhist shrines of Asakusa before getting a sky-high view of Tokyo on top of its towering Skytree attraction. Your excursion also includes hotel pickup, a guide and Skytree admission.

Take in some of the top sights in Tokyo during this 3.5-hour sightseeing excursion and river cruise perfect for those short on time. Get a sky-high view of the city from the 40th floor of the World Trade Center building, before exploring the sacred confines of Asakusa Kannon Temple, strolling the shops of Nakamise Street and then stopping by the Imperial Palace and Ginza district. Your experience finishes with a relaxing 40-minute cruise. This Tokyo exploration and cruise also includes a guide, all entrance fees and pickup from select hotels.

Sample some of Tokyo’s top sights in one great trip during this 5-hour private walking tour. Start your day strolling the seafood at sprawling Tsukiji Market. After a casual sushi lunch (at your own expense), explore a peaceful, 18th-century, Japanese garden and take a scenic cruise on Tokyo’s Sumida River. Finish the day by uncovering the unique historical sights of the ancient Asakusa area. A private guide, garden entrance fees and round-trip hotel transport are all covered.